Fin-type air heater



Aug. 21, 1928.

1,681,428 o. w. OTT

FIN TYPE AIR HEATER Filed May 28, 1927 j Mw Patented Aug.4 21, 192s.

- UNITED STATES PATENT oF GRAIN' W. OTT, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FICE.

FIN-TYPE AIR HEATER.

Application filed May 28,

the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in cthe drawings, is adaptedfor the use of the gaseous form of fuel.

An object of the invention is to make provision for a relatively largearea of metal to absorb and radiate the heat.

In order to utilize the heatingvalue of fuel to as great a degree aspossible, I provide a large number of fins to absorb the heat andradiate the same into the air passages formed by the inter-fin spaces. Iprovide a number 0f ilues and fins' radiating from said lues, the

metal that forms the iiues and fins being in contact so that the heatwill be readily conducted from the iiues to the fins for radiation bysaid fins.

The flues and fins are constructed of sheet metal of any suitablecharacter.

A very important object of the invention is economy in the use of fuel.

Another important. object is lightness s0 that the heater can be easilymoved from place to lace.

ther objects and advantages will appear inthe subjoined detaileddescription.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

f Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fin type air heater constructed inaccordance with the provisions of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of those elements of the heater that arepositioned 1nside of the housing orbody.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the heater, th grating top being omitted. t

Figure 4 is a fragmental-detall, partly 1n section on the line indicatedby 4--4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, from the lineindicated-:thy 5 5, Figure 4, the upper end of one of the plates beingshown as well as the lower end thereof and a portion of said plate beingbroken away to contract the view Figure 6 is a sectionalgdetail viewsimilar toFigure 4 showing a modification of the plates.

Referring to the drawings, there isprovided a series or bank of flues,each Hue being indicated in its entirety by the character 11. In thisparticular instance, each iiue comprises a pair of oppositely disposedchannel- 1927. Serial No. 194,987.

shaped members 12, the iianges 13 of each of said members being turnedaway from the flanges of the other member. The iiues are partly formedby plates which, in some instances, are interposed between adjacentpairs ofthe members 12 and, in other instances, are

at the outer ends of the endmost pairs of members 12. The plates justreferred to have intermediate portions `14 constituting two of the wallsof the flues 11, and said plates also have marginal portions 15 thatform fins. In this instance, the walls 14 and fins 15 are integral butit is readily understood that they could be of separate construction.The walls 14 and fins 15, with the exception of the two end ones, areinterposed between the flanges 13 of adjacent members 12 and are, infact, clamped between said flanges, by a suitableA means, as, forexample, bolts or-rods 16 which pass through holes 17 in the iianges 13and through holes 18 in the plates. The rods 16 are screw threaded attheir opposite ends as indicated at 19 and the endmost plates are in#terposed between the end flanges 13 and eye 32 on the rods 16. Engagingthe screw threads 19, at each end of each rod, is a nut 21, which, whenturned up tight, securely clamps the members 12 and the plates together.t

The iiues 11 are positioned upright and each plate has at its lower enda slot 22 to permit of a burner support 23 extending through said slots,as clearly shown in Figure 4. The burner support 23 has a bottom 24, endwalls 25 and side walls 26. In this instance, the burner support- 23extends through thelower portions only of the slots 22 so that there isa continuousopen space over the burner support 23. A burner 27 ispositioned in the support 23 and said burner is spaced a Vdesirabledistance from the plates so that there is no danger of' burning out saidplates.

Suitable means is provided for-'supporting' the burner. support 23 abovethe level of the :Floor on which the heater is to rest. and, in thisinstance, said means comprises a pair of eye bolts 28 at each end of thesupport 23 and the lower ends of each pair of bolts 28 pass through across member 29, being secured to said cross member by-nuts 30positioned above said `cross member and nuts 31 positioned beneath saidcross member. The cross members 29 extend transversely oi' the burnersupport 23 and said burner support rests upon said cross members. Therods 16 pass through the eye 32 of the eye bolts 28 and. they also passthrough holes 33 in the end walls 34 of a housing or body which isindicated in general b the character 35. The body 35 also compr1ses sidewalls 3G. In this instance, the body is rectangular and has at itscorners supporting legs 37. The end walls 34 are clamped in place on therods 16 by nuts 36 which are screwed on the threaded portions 19 ot' therods. The end walls 34, side walls 36 and legs 37 are all securedtogether by any suitable means well understood in this art. For example,they may be welded.

The body 35 also comprises a grating top 39. Fuel is supplied to theburner 27 through a pipe 4() which connects at one end to said burner.The other end of the pipe 40 is provided with an air mixer 41 and avalve 42.

The construction and operation of the invention will now be apparentand, in brief, the operation is as follows: Assuming that the fuel hasbeen lighted at the burner 27, the hot combustion gases pass upwardlythrough the flues 11 heating the thin walls of said flues. The heat israpidly conducted away from the flue walls by the fins 15 which, as isclearly seen in Figure 3. preferably are spaced from the side 'alls 36so as to avoid heating said side walls. The heated fins 15 radiate heatinto the inter-fin spaces 43, thus heating the air within said spaces,causingT said air to rise and flow through the grating top 39. Coolerair from the floor of the room flows upwardly into the body 35 from thespace therebeneath, since said body is open at its bottom.

It will be readily understood that the body 35,1nay, if desired. beomitted and the remaining parts of the heater supported above the floorlevel by any other suitably constructed support.

The elements that are the functional equivalents of those alreadydescribed are indicated by the same reference characters with theaddition of the letter a. The only difference between the plates inFigure 6 and those in Figure 4 is that the plates in Figure G havelaterally bent flanges 44 positioned at the upper margins ot the slotsQ2. In this instance, the flanges 44 extend aslant downwardly andoutwardly from their fixed ends to their free ends and the free endsextend into the slots of adjacent plates. The purpose ot the flanges 44is to obstruct View of the flame to an observer looking downwardlythrough the grating top 39. The flanges 44 extend across the flues andthe free ends of the flanges are spaced sufliciently from adjacentflanges to permit the gases of combustion to pass between adjacentflanges into the flues.

I claim:

1. A. lin type air heater comprising a. series of upright lues, two ofthe walls of each flue being formed of channel-shaped members, finsprojecting from the flanges of the channel-shaped members, and a gasburner positioned beneath the flues. y

Q. A fin type air heater comprising a series of upright flues, two ofthe walls of each flue being formed of channel-shaped members, finsprojecting from between the flanges of the channel-shaped members, and agas burner positioned beneath the flu es.

3. A lin type air heater comprising a series of upright flues, two ofthe walls of each flue being formed of channel-shaped members, theintermediate portions of plates forming two other walls of each flue.all but the end plates extending between adjacent flanges of thevchannel-shaped members, marginal portions ofthe plates formingoutwardly projecting fins, and ay gas burner positioned beneath theflues.

4. A fin type air heater comprising pairs of spaced channel-shapedmembers in upright position, plates between adjacent channelshapedmembers, rods passing through the flanges of the channel-shaped members.means on the rods to force the channel-shaped members toward oneanother, and a gas burner positioned beneath the flues.

5. A fin type air heater comprising pairs of spaced channel-shapedmembers in upright position, plates between adjacent channelshapedmembers, marginal portions of the plates forming outwardly projectingfins, rods passing through the plates and through the flanges ot' thechannel-shaped members, means on the rods to force the channel-shapedmembers toward one another, and a gas burner positioned beneath theflues.

6. A fin type air heater comprising a series of upright flues, two ofthe walls of each flue being formed of separate members and the wall oteach two adjacentflues being formed by a plate, marginal portions ofsaid plat/es projecting outside of said first mentioned walls to formheat radiating fins, and a gas burner positioned below the level of theflues.

7. A fin type air heater comprising a series of upright flues, two ofthe walls of each tlue being formed of separate members and the wall ofeach two adjacent flues being formed by a plate, marginal portions ofsaid plates projecting outside of said first mentioned walls to formheat radiating fins, a housing extending around the flues, and a gasburner positioned in the housing below the flues.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif., this 19 day of May, 1927.

CRAN 1V. OTT.

